Our legislators may be democratically elected, but the choices the electorate has to choose from are too often picked by monied interests and ‘for profit’ media outlets. While our cannibalistic congress continues to divide and weaken the nation with the enthusiastic assistance of pundits, our money is going overseas to pay for products made cheaper and/or not made in America. The items made in China are financing China’s military growth as well as China’s diplomatic inroads in Indonesia, Africa, and other nations. And while China’s leader speaks at trade conferences to which Mr. Obama was also to attend, Mr. Obama stays home hoping a bill will be brought to his desk that he feels he can sign.To the point of the cartoon, if not for more functional democracies still practicing in Europe, Japan, Australia, and other continents, the concept of democracy might be considered a bad thing. At one time we were the city on the hill, the shining example of how a country could be secure, profitable, and powerful with its people living a quality of life that was the envy of the world. In 2001, the world was behind us like never before. The planet was outraged when the towers fell, the pentagon was struck, and a plane full of heroes died to prevent their plane from being used to kill even more people. We lost that good will, and as hearts hardened in the USA and Congress, the world began to wonder what had happened to ‘the shining city on the hill’. There was a brief hope when Mr. Obama was elected. People thought a new day had begun, but Democrat hubris, Republican intransigence, old prejudices and new ones, combined with Mr. Obama’s apparent lack of readiness for the office to which he had been elevated has ended that new day and our nation is in a dark period where citizens are out of work and being told that it’s “THOSE PEOPLES’ Fault”. We have become "a house divided’.There is an elite set of career politicians in secure positions who are protected by monied interests and media in whose service they truly toil. We are an oligarchy, led by a few who are compensated by corporations and individuals who think internationally, not nationally, and who do not think on behalf of people. If we do not change this dynamic, there will come a time that it will not be something we can change. It may have already passed that tipping point since we are more willing to write insults to each other, than to write and demand answers from our leaders.Respectfully,C.
I am thoroughly ENJOYING the luberals, dumbocrats, obummer, and the rest of the leftist media ilk crying over the Democracy that is really going on. For decades the dumbocrats had control of Congress and forced much of the current scare tactics and force people into poverty in the name of saving them from poverty. I am GLAD to see the Tea Party and others PUCHING BACK and listening to the dumbocrats cry since this has not been a pushover of my way or the highway. Welcome to a new order in Congress. When a mjority of the country did/do not want obummerscare and the dumbocrat ilk voted it in, it IS time for Republicans to pushback and I for one (and I am sure a large portion of the infamous silent majority in the country) HAPPY there is pushback. SO dumbocrats, SUCK IT UP!!!!! The take from the rich to give to the lazy and non-deserving methods are being pushed back….
A good post Michael, and I am willing to stand at least somewhat corrected. It is indeed important to protect the rights of the minority, while still respecting the decisions of the majority. It is this balancing act that is so very important (and so very hard to do) in a truly representative democracy. So far, in the history of this great country we have been able to do that better than just about any other major country in history. And it is one of the major reasons that our representative democracy has lasted longer than any other in history.
But, there now seem to be forces (on both extreme sides of the political spectrum) that are now bent on destroying that balance. However, I am glad to see such posters as yourself and RT on here still fighting the moderation and reason battle, even if sometimes I do not totally agree with you. It may not be worth much, but I truly salute such efforts as yours!!
panzer4h over 10 years ago
We do not have, nor have we ever had a democracy, we have always had a representative republic.
vwdualnomand over 10 years ago
the gop and the conservative party should really be called the anarchist party.
chazandru over 10 years ago
Our legislators may be democratically elected, but the choices the electorate has to choose from are too often picked by monied interests and ‘for profit’ media outlets. While our cannibalistic congress continues to divide and weaken the nation with the enthusiastic assistance of pundits, our money is going overseas to pay for products made cheaper and/or not made in America. The items made in China are financing China’s military growth as well as China’s diplomatic inroads in Indonesia, Africa, and other nations. And while China’s leader speaks at trade conferences to which Mr. Obama was also to attend, Mr. Obama stays home hoping a bill will be brought to his desk that he feels he can sign.To the point of the cartoon, if not for more functional democracies still practicing in Europe, Japan, Australia, and other continents, the concept of democracy might be considered a bad thing. At one time we were the city on the hill, the shining example of how a country could be secure, profitable, and powerful with its people living a quality of life that was the envy of the world. In 2001, the world was behind us like never before. The planet was outraged when the towers fell, the pentagon was struck, and a plane full of heroes died to prevent their plane from being used to kill even more people. We lost that good will, and as hearts hardened in the USA and Congress, the world began to wonder what had happened to ‘the shining city on the hill’. There was a brief hope when Mr. Obama was elected. People thought a new day had begun, but Democrat hubris, Republican intransigence, old prejudices and new ones, combined with Mr. Obama’s apparent lack of readiness for the office to which he had been elevated has ended that new day and our nation is in a dark period where citizens are out of work and being told that it’s “THOSE PEOPLES’ Fault”. We have become "a house divided’.There is an elite set of career politicians in secure positions who are protected by monied interests and media in whose service they truly toil. We are an oligarchy, led by a few who are compensated by corporations and individuals who think internationally, not nationally, and who do not think on behalf of people. If we do not change this dynamic, there will come a time that it will not be something we can change. It may have already passed that tipping point since we are more willing to write insults to each other, than to write and demand answers from our leaders.Respectfully,C.
woodwork over 10 years ago
I’ll munch to that, M5
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 10 years ago
The Tea Party is just a big testosterone poisoning!
Not even, just WASP male insecurity.
Distantdanger1 over 10 years ago
I am thoroughly ENJOYING the luberals, dumbocrats, obummer, and the rest of the leftist media ilk crying over the Democracy that is really going on. For decades the dumbocrats had control of Congress and forced much of the current scare tactics and force people into poverty in the name of saving them from poverty. I am GLAD to see the Tea Party and others PUCHING BACK and listening to the dumbocrats cry since this has not been a pushover of my way or the highway. Welcome to a new order in Congress. When a mjority of the country did/do not want obummerscare and the dumbocrat ilk voted it in, it IS time for Republicans to pushback and I for one (and I am sure a large portion of the infamous silent majority in the country) HAPPY there is pushback. SO dumbocrats, SUCK IT UP!!!!! The take from the rich to give to the lazy and non-deserving methods are being pushed back….
frodo1008 over 10 years ago
A good post Michael, and I am willing to stand at least somewhat corrected. It is indeed important to protect the rights of the minority, while still respecting the decisions of the majority. It is this balancing act that is so very important (and so very hard to do) in a truly representative democracy. So far, in the history of this great country we have been able to do that better than just about any other major country in history. And it is one of the major reasons that our representative democracy has lasted longer than any other in history.
But, there now seem to be forces (on both extreme sides of the political spectrum) that are now bent on destroying that balance. However, I am glad to see such posters as yourself and RT on here still fighting the moderation and reason battle, even if sometimes I do not totally agree with you. It may not be worth much, but I truly salute such efforts as yours!!
frodo1008 over 10 years ago
de·moc·ra·cynoun \di-ˈmä-krə-sē\
: a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting
: a country ruled by democracy
: an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights
Link:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy
I see nothing in this definition by a well respected dictionary about mob rule!!
The USA IS a representative democracy, which indeed could also be referred to as a republic!!